


flirting (with danger)

by Potrix



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Banter, Escape, Escaping Hydra, Flirting, Fluff and Humor, Getting to Know Each Other, Happy Ending, M/M, Minor Violence, Post-Captain America: The Winter Soldier, Pre-Relationship, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-22 10:40:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,126
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22148116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Potrix/pseuds/Potrix
Summary: Tony stares at the man shackled to the wall for a long, unblinking moment. “You’re supposed to be dead.”The man raises an unimpressed eyebrow back at him. “Right back at ya, pal.”
Relationships: James "Bucky" Barnes & Tony Stark, James "Bucky" Barnes/Tony Stark
Comments: 81
Kudos: 1461
Collections: 2019 WinterIron_Holiday_Exchange





	flirting (with danger)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [its_inherited](https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_inherited/gifts).



> A super last minute pinch hit assignment for [its_inherited](https://archiveofourown.org/users/its_inherited) for the [2019 WIHE](https://winterironholidayexchange.tumblr.com). I apologise about the length (or lack thereof), but I hope these two idiots banter-flirting their way out of a HYDRA prison makes up for it a little. 
> 
> Enjoy! ❤

Tony stares at the man shackled to the wall for a long, unblinking moment. “You’re supposed to be dead.” 

The man raises an unimpressed eyebrow back at him. “Right back at ya, pal.” 

Well. He sounds vastly less confused-in-a-brainwashed-sort-of-way than Steve had told them about after the whole Project Insight mess, at least. So far, so good. 

Taking a few careful steps closer, Tony asks, “So, you know who I am?” 

“Anthony Edward Stark, Iron Man. Enemy of HYDRA, Class 1 threat to the organisation.” Then, with a shrug and a teasing smirk, the man adds, “Really hopin’ you’re less of a dick than your old man.”

Tony laughs, startled. “I like you,” he declares and closes the remaining distance between them. “But, to answer your non-question; no, not really. Just infinitely more charming, of course.” 

The man looks amused. “Of course.” 

“So,” Tony says, checking the cuffs around the man’s wrists, “last I heard, you threw our good friend Cap out of a helicarrier, which, trust me, we’ve all had the urge. He seems convinced you were the one to fish him back out of the Potomac, too.” 

“Think so.” The man’s face scrunches up for a moment before he shrugs again, as much as he can in his current position. “Rememberin’ is still a little touch-and-go.” 

Which makes Tony hesitate, fingers stopping where they’re probing one of the cuff’s locks. “Do you know who you are?” 

“You obviously do,” the man shoots back, watching Tony intently. 

Tony watches him right back. “Indulge me.” 

A moment of charged silence, followed by a tired sigh. “James Barnes. Bucky. I—I know who I am, jus’ not who that person is, really.” 

“All right, Bucky,” Tony says, patting his shoulder. “We can work with that. Now!” He claps his hands and winks at Bucky. “How about we get out of here?” 

Bucky looks sceptical, glancing at the cuffs. 

“Oh, honey,” Tony croons, grinning slowly, “don’t worry about those.” 

*

“An’ everybody knows, about you escapin’ from that cave?” Bucky asks even as he presses a hand against Tony’s chest to stop him from rounding the corner. A second later, a HYDRA guard runs past them, head making contact with the concrete wall before he—or Tony, for that matter—even spotted Bucky moving. “An’ they still threw you in a cell with me, without so much as takin’ away your watch or shoes?” 

At Tony’s cheerful, “Yep!” Bucky shakes his head, snorting in disgust. “I’d have had you naked, gagged an’ hogtied.” 

“Ooh,” Tony says, waggling his eyebrows. “Sexy.” 

Bucky’s gaze drops to Tony’s mouth for a moment, entirely shameless, before it snaps up again just in time for his—gorgeous—metal arm to shoot out, punch through a sheet of drywall and grab another guard around the throat. 

The guard struggles fruitlessly for a moment before crumpling to the floor. 

Tony nudges him with the tip of his foot, just to make sure. Then, glancing up at Bucky through lowered lashes, he asks, “Did I mention that I have a serious competence kink?” 

Bucky’s answering smirk is downright filthy. “Duly noted.” 

He crouches next to the guard, patting him down, then makes a triumphant sound as he unholsters a gun. “Howard teach you to shoot, at least?” 

Tony takes the gun from him, checks the magazine and turns off the safety lock. “Taught myself.”

Bucky’s eyes are dark. 

Tony smiles sweetly and offers him a hand up. 

*

“We’ve been wondering who blew up that base in Argentina,” Tony pants, gritting his teeth as Bucky’s finger digs a little deeper into the hole in his shoulder. “It was obvious there’d been a struggle, but we didn’t realise someone had been taken.” 

He screams, then, when Bucky does something that sets every nerve in his arm on fire, but, a moment later, Bucky pulls back, holding the bloody bullet between thumb and forefinger. 

“Gotcha!” 

“Yay,” Tony cheers weakly, slumping back against the tree behind him.

Everything hurts—from fighting their way out and getting shot at, yes, but also from being kidnapped and manhandled in the first place—and he’s feeling a little dizzy with blood loss, but Tony still manages an appreciative whistle when Bucky starts stripping off his gear. 

“Maybe wait until you’re not ‘bout to pass out, huh?” Bucky suggest as he kneels down next to Tony. 

He makes swift work of ripping his undershirt into makeshift bandages and wrapping Tony’s arm tightly against his chest. He helps Tony stand, keeping a secure arm around his waist when they start walking again. 

“Jus’ a lil’ farther, all right?” Bucky murmurs, brushing some sweaty hair out of Tony’s eyes. “Then we’ll make camp for the night.” 

Tony leans against him, good hand curled into the back of Bucky’s tac vest. “Lead the way.” 

*

Tony’s shivering already when he wakes up, teeth clattering and trembling all over. He wiggles his fingers, barely able to feel them. 

They’d found a small rock overhang to shelter them from the wind, but had decided that lighting a fire was too risky. They’d made good progress over the course of the day, backtracking several times to lay false trails, but they’re not risking anything. 

“C’mere,” a hoarse voice says from beside him, followed by a heavy arm being draped across his waist. “‘M not gonna explain to your buddies that you froze to death.”

“Wou—would be,” Tony stutters and gratefully turns into Bucky’s chest, “pretty—pretty embarrassing.” 

Bucky cups the back of his head, guiding his face into the crook of his neck. “Exactly.” 

Tony curls the fingers of his good arm into Bucky’s sleeve and, on a whim, presses a brief, chaste kiss to the base of Bucky’s throat. “Thanks.” 

The answering, “No, thank you,” is whispered warmly into Tony’s hair.

*

“About fuckin’ time,” Bucky groans as Steve exits the quinjet, sprinting towards them. “The fuck took you so long?” 

Steve rolls his eyes but he’s smiling, pulling Bucky into a hug. “Glad to have you back, asshole.” 

“Hey, careful.” Bucky pushes Steve back a little, readjusting his grip on Tony. 

Tony bats at him, glaring. “I’m fine.” 

“You got shot—” Bucky starts at the same time as Steve points out, “You look like shit.” 

“Fuck both of you,” Tony sniffs, haughty, and manages two steps on his own before his knees buckle. 

Bucky catches him, very clearly holding back a laugh. 

“Idiot,” he admonishes, but Tony thinks it sounds mostly fond. He kisses Tony’s forehead, hand curved over the back of his neck. “C’mon, up you go.”

Tony squawks when Bucky picks him up, bridal style, but only protests a little before settling against his chest, manfully ignoring Steve’s snickering.

He does flip him off over Bucky’s back, though.

**Author's Note:**

> Go check out my other [work](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Potrix/works), or come over and say hi on [tumblr](http://potrix-the-queerschlaeger.tumblr.com).


End file.
